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April Fools Day in Trinidad? Got to be skeletal room service

This happened during my last tour to the West Indies, in 1961-62. Some of the newspaper correspondents covering the series, including KN Prabhu, were staying near our hotel in Trinidad. It was April Fool's Day and some of us - Ghulam Ahmed and Pat (the Nawab of Pataudi Jr) were the leaders of the pack - decided to play a prank on Prabhu.

Pat had bought a dress made of some plastic-like substance, which, when he wore it, made him look like a skeleton. In addition to that, he draped a thin white bedsheet over himself, which made him look truly scary.

There was this car driving past as we came out of our hotel. The driver took one look at Pat and screeched away at top speed. We were laughing as we entered Prabhu's hotel. In fact, Ghulam, laughing his guts out, fell into the swimming pool.

We did our best to control ourselves as Pat knocked on Prabhu's door. Prabhu opened it with a book in one hand, the other holding up the drawstring of his pyjamas. As soon as he saw Pat, he went white with fear and backed away, all the while trying his best not to let his pyjamas fall.

As told to Nagraj Gollapudi. This article was first published in the print version of Cricinfo Magazine

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